Side delivery rake



May 26, 1953 c. B. RICHEY SIDE DELIVERY RAKE Original Filed Nov. 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VEN TOR.

H m n 5 a m P A a May 26, 1953 Original Filed Nov. 12, 1949 C. B. RICHEY SIDE DELIVERY RAKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 III III-L.-

INVENTOR. CMZfA/Cf 5 0605) y 1953 c. B. RICHEY 2,639,575

SIDE DELIVERY RAKE Original Filed Nov. 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 {4 INVEVTOR.

w cz 4mm. 5 e/c/m J7 58 BY Patented May 26, 1953 SIDE DELIVERY RAKE Clarence B. Richey, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor to Dearborn Motors Corporation, Birmingham, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Original application November 12, 1949, Serial No. 126,800. Divided and this application February 7, 1951, Serial No. 209,727

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 126,800, filed November 12, 1949, and entitled Side Delivery Rake.

5 Claims. 01. 56377) This invention relates to a side delivery rake,

and particularly to a side delivery rake for use with tractors having power-lifted, trailing hitch links.

Side delivery rakes have been in use for some time and are well liked because of their ability to deliver the mowed hay into a single window which not only facilitates the curing of the hay but also permits the convenient pick up of cured hay by buck rake, hay balers or other implements. Many of such side delivery rakes, however, are of relatively complicated construction and had limited service life. Nearly all of the known side delivery rakes utilize a raking drum or cylinder comprising spaced rotatable discs between which are attached rake tooth bars carrying spaced rake teeth. Spaced hay strippers are then provided comprising semi-circular tubes depending from the frame of the hay rake and passing between the rotary paths of the rake teeth. The purpose of such strippers is to strip the hay from the teeth of the rotating raking cylinder. One of the ever present disadvantages of such construction. however, is the great possibility of interference of the rake bars with the hay strippers as the raking cylinder is rotated. Such interference is caused by the radially outward deflection of the raking bar due to the centrifugal'forces set up by the rapidly rotating raking cylinder and the deflection reaches a maximum in the lowermost position of each rake bar where gravity is also acting to deflect the rake bar outwardly. A further and more serious disadvantage caused by deflection of the tooth bar is the unevenness with which the raking teeth traverse the ground due tothe teeth at the point of greatest deflection digging into the ground.

' Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved side delivery rake of a simple, rugged yet economically manufacturable design.

A particular object of this invention is to provide an improved frame construction fora side delivery rake adapted for use with a tractor having power lifted hitch links.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved design of a rake tooth bar for a rotating raking cylinder of a side delivery rake which eliminates the possibility of interference between the hay stripper and the raking teeth normally caused by the combination of centrifugal and gravitational forces produced in the 2 rapidly rotating raking cylinder during operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved rake tooth bar for a rotating raking cylinder of a side delivery rake which insures that the raking teeth of each bar will be evenly aligned at the bottom of the rotating cylinder to eliminate uneven raking caused by deflection of such bar by the combination of centrifugal and gravitational forces produced in the rapidly rotating cylinder.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved hay stripper for a side delivery rake having a rotating raking cylinder.

The specific nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings on which, by way of preferred example only, is illustrated one embodiment of this invention:

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the side delivery rake constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, showing the manner of securing the rake tooth to the rake bar.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View, partly in section, showing the manner of mounting the wheels to the frame of the side delivery rake.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the camber of the rake tooth bars of the raking cylinder, in exaggerated detail, at both the top of the rotating cylinder and at the bottom of the cylinder.

As shown on the drawings:

Briefly, this invention comprises a tractor drawn frame in which there is rotatably mounted a so-called raking cylinder formed by a plurality of rake tooth bars which rotate about a horizontal axis inclined relative to the path of travel of the tractor. The rear end of the frame is supported on caster type wheels while the front end of the frame is adapted for mounting on the trailing hitch links of a tractor of well-known make. The power-take-off shaft of the tractor is utilized for driving the raking cylinder through the medium of a V-belt and suitable pulleys.

In Fig. 1 there is shown in assembled relation, a side delivery rake constructed in accordance with this invention. A frame [6 is utilized to support the elements of the side delivery rake. Frame It comprises a horizontally disposed bottom member ifia constructed preferably of angle iron and having a substantially C-shaped configuration in a horizontal plane with rounded ends II and 2 respectively. A vertically disposed tubular frame element H of generally U-shaped configuration is diagonally secured across the oval shaped bottom portion of frame NJ, as best shown in Fig. 1. A pair of vertically disposed frame carrying members [4 and [5 are secured, preferably by bolts we, in laterally spaced relationship to the bottom portion IEBa of frame it] as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The carrying members l4 and hi are of generally inverted u-shape, passing over the top of tubular portion l3 of frame It) and extending forwardly and downwardly to where connection is made to the vertically swingable draft links I6 and ll of the tractor (not shown), as will be later described. Each of the carrying members It and I5 are secured to tubular portion E3 of frame it) by a depending plate I8 bolted or otherwise secured to each carrying member Hi and I5 and welded to the tubular portion M3 or frame it as shown at It. A third frame carrying member 20 has its ends respectively secured by bolts 2% to bottom frame por- 'tion lila and the tubular portion l3 of frame I!) near the left end of such frame as viewed in Fig. l, a bracket 211a being secured by welding,

as indicated at 28d, to such tubular portion for such purpose.

A web-like arm 2| is secured to each of the re- .spective carrying members |4, i5, and 20 by bolts Hi and a vertically disposed tubular housing 23 is welded, as indicated at 23a, to the rear end of each of such arms. Housing 23 is provided to journal a shaft 24 of a wheel supporting fork 25. Suitable sleeve bearings 26 and 21 (Fig. 6) are provided in opposite ends of the housing 23 to support shaft 24 in bearin relationship. A wheel '28 provided with a rubber tire 29 thereon is rotatably supported in fork 25 by a transverse axle '30 and similar wheels are similarly mounted on spaced slightly apart at the top diverge downwardly to define an A-shaped strut 34. The strap ,members mounted on 32 are pins 33, suitable apertures being provided at the lower ends of the strap members 32 for such purpose. The draft links [6 and H of the tractor are also mounted on pins 33. The top tractor link is pivotally secured between the spaced upper ends of the straps 32 by a transverse pin 36. A pair of horizontally disposed braces 3! and 38 are connected at their forward ends to strut 34 just below the connecting pin 36 and the other ends of braces 31 and 38 .are connected respectively to carrying members 14 and I5 respectively by bolts 39. Thus the forward end of the rake is supported by the draft links [6 and ll of the tractor and since the vertical position of the draft links I6 and I! may be hydraulically controlled in conventional fashion, the front end of the rake may be raised or lowered with respect to the ground for a purpose which will later appear.

It should be pointed out here that the axis of frame I0 is diagonally disposed with respect to the line of draft of the tractor when the carrying Each arm 2| projects rearwardly of frame frame members l4 and I5 are mounted on drawbar 32.

A raking cylinder 40 is rotatably mounted in frame I0. Such raking cylinder comprises a pair of end wheels or discs 4| and 42 to which are secured a plurality of rake tooth bars 43 as will be presently described. Disc 4| is rotatably mounted on the upright leg |3a of tubular frame portion |3 by a stub axle 44. Stub axle 44 is horizontally supported within a suitable hole in upright portion |3a and is welded, as indicated at 44a, to the upright portion of frame member l3. Disc 4| is provided with a hub 45 having an axial bore 46 therethrough. The left end of bore 48, as shown in Fig, 4, is counterbored to receive a tapered roller bearing 4'! which surrounds axle 44 and abuts a stationary shoulder or collar 48 on axle 44. Another bearing 49 similar to hearing 47 is placed in the other end of bore 46 and surrounds the forward end of axle 44. A washer 50 and nut 5| are placed over the threaded forward end 52 of axle 44 to secure disc 4| to such axle. A suitable cap 53 is forced into the right hand end of bore 45 to exclude extraneous matter from the bearing.

A plurality of radially disposed arms 54 are angularly spaced about the periphery of disc 4| and on the end of each arm 54 there is provided a horizontally disposed housing 55, such housing being provided with a bore 56, the axis of which is disposed parallel to the axis of axle 44. It should be noted that axle 44 is mounted on frame member |3a in such a way that disc 4| will be displaced at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of frame It. A peripheral V-shaped groove 51 is provided in disc 4| for a purpose to be later described. A second disc 42, similar to disc 4|, is mounted in a similar manner to that of disc 4| on the upright portion |3b of frame member l3 and such disc is disposed with its face parallel to the face of disc 4|.

A plurality of tubular rake bars 43 are pivotally secured between discs 4| and 42 in a cylindrical array. The respective ends of each rake bar 43 are cut down and flattened as shown at 58 in Figs. 1 and 4 and a transverse hole is provided in such respective end portions through which is inserted a bolt 59. Such bolt extends through bore 56 of housing and is supported therein in bearing relationship. A nut 60 secures such bolt within housing 55.

Each rake bar is provided with a plurality of depending rake teeth 60 secured in evenly spaced relationship upon the bar. Such teeth comprise a coil spring portion 6|, one end of which projects downwardly to form a vertically disposed tine 62. The other end of the coil spring 6| terminates in an arm-like portion 63 on the end of which there is provided an eye 64. Each tooth 60 is secured to the underside of rake bar 43 by a substantially vertical bolt which passes through eye 64 and thence through suitable holes in bar 43 and a nut 65 secures such bolt to bar 43.

As tooth bars 43 are pivotally mounted on discs 4| and 42 the rake teeth 60 rotate about the cylinder with tines 62 vertically disposed at all times.

In accordance with this invention, each rake bar 43 is provided with a camber, shown in exaggerated detail in Fig. 7 to better illustrate such feature. The camber is such that each rake tooth bar 43 is bowed upwardly; that is, when each rake tooth is at the top position of the raking cylinder, the center of each of such bars is displaced above the ends of the bar. Hence when discs 4i.

rotated slowly, the central portions of each rake bar 43 would remain in such bowed position as it passes through the lower portions of its path. As the raking cylinder 40 rotates the rake tooth bars are carried around the cylinder as well as being substantially laterally advanced and then retracted relative to the ground. The lateral movement is due to the angular disposition of the When rotated rapidly at working speeds, the centrifugal force on the rake bar will, of course, act to deflect the central portions of the bar radially outwardly and such tendency will be directly in opposition to the aforementioned camber throughout the lowermost portions of the rotary path of the rake bar. Therefore the rake bars are bowed or cambered as above described in sufficient degree to compensate for the forces acting on the bar in operation so that each or" such bars will be substantially straight throughout the bottom portions of its rotation.

A transverse support member 61 is welded, as indicated at 31c, or otherwise secured between pair of opposed depending arms 63 which are in turn welded, as indicated at 68a, to carrying members it and I5 near the forward ends thereof 4 as shown in Fig. 1. A shaft housing 7! is adjustably secured to the underside of support member 61 by a .pair of bolts 69 which are engageable with elongated slots W. Such housing rotatably supports a shaft 12 which projects forwardly from. such housing. Shaft 12 is connected by a versal joint 75 to an extension shaft id which, in turn is connected in conventional fashion to the power-take-oif shaft of the tractor (not shown). A V-pulley i3 is mounted on the rear end of shaft 12 and a V-belt I5 is trained over pulley l3 and the V-shaped groove El of disc ll. Thus power from the tractor is utilized to rotate the raising cylinder ll). Tensioning of belt It is simply ei'- fected by lateral shifting of shaft housing ll, slots ill permitting such adjustment. A guard 32 comprising a plate provided with a forwardly and upwardly sloping end 32a is welded, as indicated at 82b, to a depending bracket 83 welded, as indicated at 8311, to housing ll for protection of the drive connection.

A plurality of hay strippers 11 are mounted on frame iii. A horizontal tubular support arm i8 is utilized for such purpose and such arm is secured in depending relationship to carrying supports M and H: by a pair of plate members iii. Such plate members are secured respectively to carrying members l4 and 15 in depending relation by bolts lea. The lower ends of such plates are shaped to partially surround tubular arm '58 and such arm is welded to each of the plates 19 and St. A vertically disposed plate 81 is welded, as indicated at cm, to the forward edge of tubular arm it as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The hay strippers ll are secured in spaced and depending relationship to plate 8i by bolts 82 and each hay stripper comprises a tubular member provided with a closed curved end portion Tia which projects between tines 62 of teeth 60 and extend underneath raking cylinder 40, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, as closely as possible to the path of the rotating rake bars 43.

In the operation of the side delivery rake of this invention, the carrying members l5 and M are mounted on the draft links l6 and ll of the tractor and connection of the tractor top link 35 is made to the top of A-fraine member 34. Thus, the front end of the rake is supported on the tractor and the rear end of the side delivery rake is supported by the wheels 28. When the powertake-off shaft of the tractor is driven, disc 4! is rotated by means of belt it which then effects rotation of the entire raking cylinder 40. Due to the angular disposition of the rake bars relative to the direction of travel of the tractor, the rake teeth 6!! have an effective movement relative to the ground in a direction substantially transverse to the tractor travel, thereby advancing the hay towards one end of the rake. The height of the rake teeth 60 with respect to the ground may be readily varied by raising or lowering hitch links I6 and I1. When the raking cylinder is rotating rapidly the center of rake bars 33 (Fig. 7) tends to be displaced radially outwardly hence down wardly as each rake bar approaches the bottom portions of its rotary path due to the combination of centrifugal and gravity forces acting on the unsupported central portions of the rake bars. The camber imparted to the rake bars is selected to substantially neutralise such deflection, so that the rake bars remain substantially straight at the bottom portions of their rotation'and there will be no interference with the hay strippers.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there is here provided a side delivery rake of relatively simple rugged construction employing a comparatively small number of parts thereby insuring that such rake may be economically fabricated and will be relatively free from mechanical failures. The cambered rake bars provided by this invention substantially eliminate any possibility of interference between the rake bars and the hay strippers and thereby overcome a common weakness of prior side delivery rakes.

It will, of course, be understood that many details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is. therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A side delivery rake comprising a bottom frame element of substantially C-shaped configuration in a horizontal plane, an inverted U-shaped upright frame element having its ends respectively secured to spaced regions of said bottom frame element, a generally horizontal stub axle mounted on the medial portion of each upright arm of said inverted U-shaped upright frame element, each of said axles being parallel to the other and projecting into the space defined by said bottom and upright frame elements, and a raking cylinder having its opposed head members respectively rotatably journaled on said stub axles.

2. A side delivery rake for use with a tractor having trailing hitch links, comprising a bottom frame element of substantially C-shaped configuration in a horizontal plane, an inverted U-shaped upright frame element having its ends respectively secured to spaced regions of said bottom frame element, a pair of laterally spaced, forwardly converging, substantially inverted U-shaped carrying members disposed substantially transversely of said upright frame element, said carrying members being secured at one end to the trailing edge of said bottom frame element and having their bight portions secured to said upright frame element, means on the converging ends of said carrying members adapted for connection to said tractor hitch links, a generally horizontal stub axle mounted on each upright arm of said inverted U-shaped upright frame element, each of said stub axles being parallel to the other and projecting into the space defined by said bottom and upright frame elements, and a raking cylinder having its opposed head members respectively rotatably journaled on said stub axles.

3. A side delivery rake for use with a tractor having trailing hitch links, comprising a bottom frame element of substantially C-shaped configuration in a horizontal plane, an inverted U-shaped upright frame element having its ends respectively secured to spaced regions of said bottom frame element, a pair of laterally spaced forwardly converging substantially inverted U-shaped carrying members disposed substantially transversely of said upright frame element, said carrying members being secured at one end to the trailing edge of said bottom frame element and having their bight portions secured to said upright frame element, means on the forward ends of said carrying members adapted for connection to said tractor hitch links, a rearwardly projecting arm secured to each of said carrying members, each of said arms having a vertical hub on the end thereof, a for journaled in each of said hubs, and. a wheel rotatably mounted in each of said forks.

4 A side delivery rake for use with a tractor having trailing hitch links, comprising a bottom frame element of substantially C--shaped configuration in a horizontal plane, an inverted U-shaped upright frame element having its ends respectively secured to spaced regions of said bottom frame element, a pair of laterally spaced, forwardly converging substantially inverted U-sha-ped carrying members disposed substantially transversely of said upright frame element, said carrying members being secured at one end to the trailing edge of said bottom frame element and having their bight portions secured to said upright frame element, a rearwardly projecting arm secured to each of said carrying members, each of said arms having a vertical hub on the end thereof, a fork journaled in each of said hubs, a wheel rotatably mounted in each of said forks, a vertical A-frame member secured to the converging ends of said carrying members, means on said A-frame member adapted for connection to said tractor hitch links, a pair of opposed braces having ends secured respectively to said A-frame member and said carrying members, a generally horizontal stub axle mounted on each upright arm of said inverted U-shaped upright frame element, each of said stub axles being parallel to the other and projecting into the space defined by said bottom and upright frame elements, and a raking cylinder having its opposed head members respectively rotatable journaled on said stub axles.

5. Aside delivery rake comprising a bottom frame element of substantially G-shaped configurationin a horizontal plane, an inverted U-shaped upright frame element having its ends respectively secured to spaced regions of said bottom frame element, a plurality of laterally spaced arched carrying members disposed substantially transversely of said upright frame element, said carrying members having their rear ends secured to said bottom frame element and having their medial portions secured to said upright frame element, means on the forward ends of said carrying members adapted for connection to a tractor, a generally horizontal stub axle mounted on each upright arm of said inverted U-shaped upright frame element, each of said stub axles projecting into the defined by said bottom and upright frame elements, and a raking cylinder having its opposed head members respectively rotatably journaled on said stub axles.

CLARENCE B. RICHEY.

Name Date Altgelt June 20, 1950 Number 

